Chun Wang, the Chinese-born F2Pool co-founder who made his fortune in Bitcoin (BTC) mining, has agreed to command SpaceX's first crewed flyby of Mars.
Chun Wang Buys Mars Flyby
Wang said he has purchased seats on two upcoming Starship missions, a development first reported by industry outlets after a SpaceX livestream. The company confirmed the two-year voyage will travel beyond the Earth-Moon system, swing past Mars, and return home.
No launch date has been set for either trip.
Before the interplanetary attempt, Wang will join a weeklong commercial flight around the Moon. He is expected to fly alongside Dennis and Akiko Tito, passing roughly 125 miles above the lunar surface.
Wang is no stranger to spaceflight. He funded and commanded the Fram2 mission in 2025, the first crewed flight to orbit directly over Earth's poles.
Also Read: XRP Eyes $1.50 Breakout As Exchange Supply Tightens
Crypto Wealth Funds Space
Wang framed the purchase as a way to keep Mars on SpaceX's agenda. He argued that government competition will get humans to the Moon regardless, but said he has little confidence Mars will happen within his lifetime without private pressure.
Analysts see the move as part of a wider pattern. Early crypto founders have steadily redirected capital into adjacent fields such as artificial intelligence, energy and aerospace, a shift the deal illustrates without tying F2Pool to SpaceX operations.
The immediate effect on mining looks limited. Observers noted that hashprice, power contracts and Bitcoin's price still matter far more to the sector than one founder's travel plans.
Wang said he hopes the trip shows the public that Mars is a real place humans can reach and survive, not just a point of light in a telescope.
F2Pool's Bitcoin Legacy
Wang co-founded F2Pool in 2013 with Shixing Mao, building one of China's earliest Bitcoin mining pools during an era when home setups were still viable. The operation grew into one of the network's most influential players and currently holds a hashrate share above 11%, ranking it among the largest pools in the industry today.
Read Next: Bitcoin Rally Hits A Ceiling As Sellers Guard $77,050 Resistance